I want to let you know... Ms Ali Dejohn has outdone herself again. It was another
magical weekend at The Makerie creative retreat. If you haven’t attended, make sure to check
out the website here, grab a girlfriend and mark your calendar so you can plan
to participate next year – you will not regret it I promise. The Makerie is a creative camp for grown up girls; a place with quiet space to create and be inspired, super cute accomodations in cottages at Chautauqua Boulder, good food, great friends, a little yoga in a breathtaking setting, and lots of meaningful
memories. So much fun!
I think I’ve mentioned to you that I BELIEVE in Ali’s vision and mission for The Makerie. I
love what she has created and the women she brings together. I
love that it’s in my hometown of Boulder, and I love how it changes the women I
have met – they leave filled with a new creative, inspirational spirit. It
is because of this that I volunteer every year. I'm thrilled to be
a part of this creative community; sharing in the happy memories that take place. I also cherish how the
community and Ali's family come together to support her – it sincerely takes a
village, and it's one filled with love.
This year I had two main job requirements; support artist
Jennifer Mercede in her classroom and assist with registration. I was so excited to find out that I would be working
with Jennifer Mercede; as an artist, and for me, this is one of the most privileged
positions. I also LOVE, love working the
registration table; I love the excitement of meeting new people, of making them
feel loved and welcomed, and sharing their excitement for what I'm sure will be a
life-changing and very memorable weekend.
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| I know... I live here!! |
Meeting Jennifer Mercede
Jennifer arrived to Chautauqua on Wednesday morning from
Portland, OR – we had plans to shop for supplies for her students. Shop for art
supplies…? Are you kidding me..? Best thing - Best day ever! I’ve
mentioned to you, I hate to shop… I know, I'm quite sure I'm the only girl. Except when it comes to shopping for art supplies, now that’s fun.
(my first jobs during college and after college were at the local art
supply – LOVED the creative people I met and loved every single paint brush,
graphite stick, oil bar I got my hands on - - and for me, this was BETTER than
any pair of Manolo Blahniks!)
I found out through FB that it was Jennifer’s birthday the day she arrived. I
put plans in place to make sure her Big Day was special. We had never met
before so I’m sure she was wondering who this birthday-crazed girl was, but I
couldn’t resist. It was her big day. First on the list, we had to stop by the Flatirons
to take her ‘just arrived in Boulder’ birthday pic. Boulder had just gotten a sparkly,
dusting of snow and if we didn’t capture the gorgeous moment now, it would all
be gone and melted by the next day (and it did).
Stunning, right?!
After our photo shoot we headed downtown to the Boulder Teahouse for lunch. It’s one of the most magical places and it always makes for a memorable moment. Even though I live here and I go often, it’s still feels incredibly special every time. If you’re not familiar with the history of the Teahouse, or how Boulder received it as a gift from its sister city of Dunshabe, read here it’s an amazing story.
Jennifer is just so easy to hang out with – we had a great
time visiting (about everything) like we had known each other for ages. So nice. + We both agreed.. Our lunch was to-die-for-yummy.
Yay - Birthday success! After
lunch we continued our visit along the Boulder creek path so she could see a
little bit of Boulder before her busy weekend started – and then we headed out
to collect wood panels for her students, paint, and drawing supplies. Fun!!
The Makerie – a collection
of fun photos
I have quite a few Makerie photos so instead of telling you all about it, why don’t I just share
the rest of the week’s activities through some fun pics? Kay, here goes:
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| my registration buddies, Teri and Daria |
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| super-groovy gift bags filled w/ all sorts of goodies. best part, this is a re-usable veggie bag . I'll be taking mine to the farmer's market for sure! |
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| the girls are starting to arrive - that's Ali on the far right. i know it's a tad blurry, but so cute I had to share. |
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| handcrafted name tags - it's hard to pick the perfect one! |
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| HELLO Ms Terri! I had SO much fun working w/ her. |
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| Arrival Night! Dinner in the dining hall - we were totally spoiled + had such a fun visit. |
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| Inspirational opening presentation given by the lovely Janine Vangool from UPPERCASE Magazine: publisher / editor / designer Janine Vangool |
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| first assignment: blind contour drawing in Jennifer's class. This is Marie Claudia, visiting from FL (originally Columbia) - so fun getting to know her |
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| seriously one of the BEST picnik lunches I've ever had - everything was so lovely, yummy and thoughtful provided to us by the super cute girls at eat Private Chef & Catering co (I have a big crush on their website) |
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| new creative buddies - Paula (MN / Denver soon!), Maria Claudia (FL) and Mimi (CA) |
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| Having fun in Jennifer's class, 'Doodle and Draw' |
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| Ali brings the artist/instructors together one evening for an awesome panel discussion about their creative process, business experiences, life-balance and inspirations |
And this is where my time ends.
Thank you Ali for doing ALL you DO - and for leaving such a lovely, creative mark on so many!
Can't we just Makerie all the time..?!!
much love, cath
xo
Awesome post Catherine. I'm so jealous. Maybe next year I can have fun at the Markerie too.
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